Monday, April 16, 2012

They don't even read each other

Penetrating the paywall behind which The Times hides its nuggets, the Press Association istelling us that this paper is reporting that the MoD is reconsidering changes to Britain's aircraft carrier programme.

The defence ministry is, we are told, planning to drop plans to buy the F35C, the conventional carrier version of the American Joint Strike Fighter, and reverting to the previous Labour government's plans to buy the short take-off, vertical landing (STOVL) F35B version of the aircraft.

However, that story sounds rather familiar and a quick check of our own archives brings upthis story from Thomas Harding of the Failygraph on 19 March.

And what a surprise! It tells us that defence ministers "are recommending that the Government scrap its previous decision to back a conventional aircraft carrier and jets - in favour of a Labour plan for jump-jet fighters and ships".

So much for the Times's scoop – nearly a month late. We can understand their gifted hacks not reading things like lowly blogs, but one might expect them to keep an eye on the competition. Just very occasionally, they have some news.